England 1949 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare.
The Ilford Advocate is a white-enameled die-cast aluminium alloy 35mm camera made in England by Kennedy Instruments, a subsidiary of Ilford.
The Advocate was introduced in 1949 and presented as a “landmark in British camera construction”, giving “the lie to the assertion that we cannot hope in this country (England) to compete in the miniature (camera) market”.
Few camera designs are more eccentrically British than the Advocate, making it a one of a kind collectible that you do not forget. The body is a pressure die-casting of aluminium silicon alloy, finished in hard-stoved ivory enamel finish which is delightful to handle, extremely resistant to scratching and wear, and absolutely incapable of picking up dirt. The Advocate was said to be popular with commercial “beach photographers” in the 1950s, because of its reliability and robust construction.
An interesting note is that all Advocate body serial numbers begin with 1919. A possible reason for this is that it may have been in tribute to David Kennedy’s daughter, Joan, who was born in 1919.
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Advocate (Mod. 1) – 38/99
The British legend ”